The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, presented himself this Friday in Montevideo (Uruguay) as the «alternative» to the government of Pedro Sánchez at the head of a «more moderate, focused and reformist» party that is committed to «recovering the great pacts». In addition, he has defended «unblocking» the treaty between the EU and Mercosur, once the elections have been held in Brazil.
This is what he said in statements to the media after a «productive and cordial» meeting with the President of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou. In this country, he will also hold a meeting with businessmen and will give a conference entitled «Good politics: moderation and agreement in the face of populism», at the Catholic University of Uruguay.
This is Feijóo’s first international trip to Latin America since he was appointed president of the PP seven months ago – replacing Pablo Casado – which will also take him to Argentina, Chile and Ecuador. He had previously traveled to some of these countries but in his capacity as president of the Xunta de Galicia and, in fact, he held a meeting with Lacalle in January 2020.
«ENORMOUS PARLIAMENTARY WEAKNESS» OF SÁNCHEZ’S GOVERNMENT Feijóo, who has revealed the friendship that links him to Lacalle, has explained that during the meeting they have talked mainly about the Spanish collectivity; and the relationship of Spain and Uruguay, as well as the relationship of Mercosur and the EU. In addition, he explained the basic lines of his political project as leader of the PP, a position he has held for the last seven months.
After stressing that in 2023 there will be municipal, autonomic and general elections and, therefore, it is a «very important year from the electoral point of view», Feijóo stressed that the government of Pedro Sánchez has an «enormous parliamentary weakness». He said that this Executive «rests on an electoral coalition» with a «tripartite where the Communist Party (IU) and Podemos» are, which in turn is supported by the «pro-independence parties» of Catalonia and the Basque Country.
For this reason, he said that it would be «opportune to try that the alternative» of the PP, a «more moderate, centered and reformist» party that bets on «recovering the great pacts of State», could have «the possibility of governing Spain if the Spaniards» want it in the elections.
HE HOPES SOONER THAN LATER THE EU-MERCOSUR AGREEMENT In economic terms, the head of the opposition has indicated that his party believes that the EU should look towards Mercosur because «25% of the world’s GDP» is concentrated in the European Union and Mercosur. For this reason, he has defended «unblocking» this agreement.
«I would like us to quickly establish a trade agreement and a definitive agreement between Mercosur and the European Union», he added, adding that he hopes that this can happen «sooner rather than later», especially now that the elections in Brazil have already taken place.
On this point, Feijóo advocated that Spain should be «the bridge» between the EU and Mercosur and stressed that if he is President of the Government, this will be one of the priorities of Spanish foreign policy. «There are hundreds of millions of people that with the right exchanges we can all live a little better,» he said.
LACALLE, EXAMPLE OF «USEFUL» POLICY
In addition, the president of the PP has put Uruguay as an example of a «reliable» country and has stressed that Lacalle practices a «useful» policy and is «a reference of good government, institutionalism and stability».
Having said this, he expressed the need to deepen friendly, economic and commercial relations with Uruguay and stressed that if he reaches the Moncloa Palace, he will be a priority partner for Spain.
Feijóo has highlighted that Lacalle’s policy is giving results in terms of employment, economic growth and in the management of the pandemic. «Spain will not recover the pre-pandemic GDP until 2024, while Uruguay will do so in 2022; its unemployment is half that of our country and it has a solid and strong growth of over 5 percent this year,» he added.
The PP leader stressed that the Uruguayan community in Spain is «large» because there are about 80,000 citizens of that country while in Uruguay reside around 67,000 people who have «Spanish passports», of which «40,000 are Galicians».
THE MUTUALIST CASA DE GALICIA When asked if he has talked with Lacalle about the end of the activity of the mutualist Casa de Galicia, which serves many of the Spaniards living in Uruguay, Feijóo has pointed out that the president of Uruguay «has just received the president of the Xunta de Galicia» and, therefore, he «would not want to supplant the responsibility that corresponds» to Alfonso Rueda in this matter.
After expressing his respect for the «sovereign» decisions of the Uruguayan government, he indicated that the president has told him that he has acted to «preserve the mutuality and the staff», while at the same time guaranteeing the «quality of care».
«What concerns me is that all Casa Galicia’s mutualists are adequately cared for and that all Casa Galicia’s staff is accommodated in the new property. And I believe that this is the case, at least with the information I have,» he said.
As for the war in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, he explained that the EU maintains a «very clear position in defense of Ukrainian sovereignty, international law and the commitment to Ukrainian democracy.» «We are all together to defend the legitimate cause of the Ukrainian people,» he concluded.
